COVID-19 delays, but does not spoil, student's study abroad experience

The COVID-19 crisis foiled Anjali Chennapragada’s dreams of studying abroad not once but twice. Finally, this summer, the rising Rider University junior fulfilled her ambition of enriching herself through travel, all while earning academic credit. 

Chennapragada, who is majoring in health care policy, flew to Denmark in July for a three-week program that would help her learn more about health care systems in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, especially in comparison with the United States. 

Traveling during the pandemic alone provided a unique perspective on how different cultures approached the virus. Danish authorities announced on June 5 that fully vaccinated tourists from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. would be allowed to visit. Once there, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test result was required to take part in many activities, including eating at restaurants. 

Chennapragada describes Danes as mainly compliant with restrictions and rules designed to slow transmission and keep people safe. She packed a stash of about 50 masks for the trip but found she didn’t require nearly as many to satisfy Danish authorities or her own comfort level.

“Before I left, I was a little nervous looking at the trip through the lens of the U.S. and how the rampant variants were affecting cases here,” she says, “but I was reassured by the ways Denmark was keeping transmission under control. I thought theirs was a good system.”

For her program, Chennapragada visited community health centers and clinics around the country while also taking part in cultural activities, such as visiting two UNESCO sites, the Wadden Sea and the Jelling Stones, taking in the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and observing the traditional Midsummer celebration.

She says her academic experiences were “extremely eye-opening,” describing the Danish health care system as “much more progressive, with a strong focus on primary care and being more proactive and preventative in how they have structured their health care system.”

Chennapragada was originally a psychology major when she transferred to Rider as a second semester freshmen. She says she decided to switch majors based on her interests in public health and political science. At Rider, she is also a member of the Leadership Development Program and Gail Bierenbaum Leadership Council. Although she is still determining the exact outline of her career ambitions, she sees potential in an advocacy role or perhaps working with health care legislation. Her recent experience in Denmark also has her thinking about new possibilities living and working abroad. 

Studying abroad is a major facet of one of six categories of Rider’s Engaged Learning Program. Every student at Rider is required to take part in the program, which is designed to help students build a bridge between their studies and their career by immersing themselves in hands-on experiences. To learn more about upcoming study abroad opportunities, please visit studyabroad.rider.edu.